Breath of Hope
by ReaperCB919
Summary: A challenge on KPSlashHaven inspired a DnD themed story... with Kim as a member of a monstrous race, and Shego as the hero sent after them. I don't know if this fits, but it's what that challenge inspired for me.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A quick note, and disclaimer. I own nothing, except the story itself, and the idea for the Drackoni race. Everything else, DnD, Kim, Shego, all the other characters you recognize, are the sole property of their prospective creators/owners/companies/what have you. I make no money off this, and not sure I could if I tried, but I won't try, so please don't sue me. This is the first thing I've posted in a while, so bare with me, I'm coming off some major writer's block and stress induced burnout. But please, enjoy.

As for the DnD world, time line, what have you, I'm not a DnD player. I mean, I own Neverwinter Nights, but I've never actually done the pen and paper thing. Read a couple of the books once upon a time, but that was years ago, so all my knowledge of DnD is from the few source books I've managed to download, and in true DnD spirit, at least according to the books, I've merely decided to use them as guidelines, rather than set in chiseled stone... MOST of the discrepancies should be explained as the story progresses, I hope, as shall a few things that have happened before the story started that you'll need to know. NOW, On with the show.

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It was dawn when the first clouds of dust were seen on the horizon. The possibility that it could have been as simple as a farmer passing on the mountain trails to the nearby township for trading, a caravan of pilgrims, or even a party of adventurers heading for the ancient temple, didn't escape the blue-scale on watch. However, years of war and death had taught the Drackoni to be cautious at the best of times, and damn well paranoid given the slightest reason. That's why the Watch-Weyr sent a trio of Whip-Tails out through the rocks to scout the pass and find out what they could of the travelers.

As the blue-scale waited for their reports, he sighed as the dust cloud got larger and larger. He had already signaled the Greatwyrm and The Clan Elder when the three Drackoni scouts returned and reported a force of mercenaries and soldiers lead by a warrior clad in black and green armor. They also reported that a captured scout had revealed that their destination, was the Clan-Weyr.

That was why the Council had convened, and what it was here to discuss; the defense of the Brightscales Clan against the children of man. And as her father's personal guard, Kim was allowed to attend the meeting. She eyed the council wearily because she knew what this meeting would decide. Stand and fight, or move deeper into the mountains where only Drackoni could follow.

The first she took notice of was her father. He was a gold-scale, and the current Greatwyrm, chief of the Brightscale Drackoni. Like all of the Drackoni he looked humanoid, mostly. His true race though was revealed in the golden scaled ridges over his eyes, along his cheekbones, and running along his jaw and in two lines down his neck. His eyes were golden and reptilian, and his fingers ended in talon like claws. His black and gold robes covered two other scale ridges that ran down either side of his back connecting his thin wing membranes from his back to his arms. The underarm wings denied him flight, but still allowed him to glide expertly through the mountain peaks.

Kim was always proud when she thought of her father. Not only was he a wise leader, but he was a brilliant wizard. His sharp instincts and genius level intelligence allowing him to understand the workings of a spell to a level beyond any she'd seen. He'd lead the Brightscales for years and kept them safe in all that time. A feat of which few could boast.

Next her eyes settled on her grandmother, the clan elder and another gold scale. Her features reminiscent of her fathers, and though she was first to admit that her father was a much better spell caster, it had been she who taught him. Like her father, the elder had wings that connected under her arms, and wore black and gold robes. In her hand, she held a long black staff, golden dragons etched into the ebony weapon. Though it was formidable in melee combat, its true purpose was to channel pure eldritch energy and allow her grandmother to cast spells without need of preparation, or incantation.

Next her eyes focused on the youngest member of the council. Felix was usually the voice of reason in cases like this. The young white-scale had lost his legs and wings when his family had been caught away from the weyr, and still the young man spoke of peace and possible coexistence with the humans and other, not monstrous races. His white eyes flashed though when any threatened his kin, and he was ruthless when necessary.

Next her eyes settled on Director, a red-scale like herself, but a wingless one. She'd lost an eye in battle and now sat on the council instead of facing war on the battlefield. She was still deadly with blade and claw, and her flame breath was hot enough to scorch even stone to ash, but she rarely used her skills except in training young warriors.

Finally there was her mother. Also a red-scale, she worked not as a warrior, but as a healer. Unable to condone the death of any living creature, she used magic and natural herbs and treatments to heal any who were wounded or sick. Her red eyes rarely missed anything, and her full wings cloaked regally around her body as she sat at the council table.

Her father spoke first, "The scouts report that the force is formidable. There is at least a full squad of spell casters, several mounted cavalry, archers, and foot soldiers. Alongside those are three catapults. We can't match their numbers."

Director spoke up next, "Any soldier in my command could assault ten of theirs single handed. They can not match our strength, magic, or natural abilities."

The elder spoke next, "The question is not can we win, the question is do we fight, or run, and if we fight, what will be the price of victory."

"I might have a suggestion…" Felix spoke, "Though it is risky, it is something I read of in the ancient texts. There is a tradition of champions. Each side will send forth one champion, and they will fight. The terms will be set before the battle, usually meaning the outcome of the entire conflict can rest on a single battle between two warriors. The upside, the costs on both sides are usually much less. The downside… there is no guarantee that either side will abide by the terms, or that who might have won a full scale battle will be the victor in single combat."

"On top of that, there's no guarantee that they would accept the challenge to begin with." Kim's mother spoke up.

"I have a plan," Her father said, "We'll send forth a group with the challenge. If it succeeds, good, if not, our forces will prepare for battle while the wyrmlings, elderwyrms, and those of the clan who are not warriors are moved deeper into the mountains with a small group for protection. With any luck, we'll be able to retrieve them in a few days."

"Then, the question becomes, who will be our champion." Director asked.

Kim saw the faces of all of the council members then, and none were happy. Director, could tell the obvious choice, as her eyes rested solely on Kim herself. The elder, and Felix were not looking at Kim, but rather, at her parents. Her parents had a look on their faces of almost resigned acceptance, but still her father had not spoken to name a champion.

Kim smiled, knowing what her father must be feeling, but it was the best choice, "I volunteer father, I shall lead the party to meet them, as Champion."

Her father turned, a slight sheen of unshed tears in his golden eyes. He knew it was the choice of a leader, but it was hard as father. He nodded, turning back to the council, he blinked the tears away and his voice became that of the Greatwyrm again.

"It's decided then, Kim shall lead a small group forward, to administer the challenge, and the rest of us shall prepare in our own ways. Kim, pick your group, no more than three others accompanying you."

"Yes father," Kim bowed her head before turning and leaving the council chambers.

She moved through the Weyr with a single minded determination, heading first to the chambers of her hatch-mate and best friend. She found him as usual, eating. The blue-scale was roasting a skewer of some kind of meat over a flame, sprinkling it with herbs and spices from a rack near the flame. His blue scales covered his back and like her father, his wings were made only for gliding. Unlike her father, he had a tale that was even length with his torso and covered in a ridge of spines that ended in a lethal spike. His blue eyes were trained on the meat, but his pointed ears twitched as she entered and she knew he was aware of her. Another line of scales covered each of his arms.

As he finished with the meat, he turned his face to her running a talon through the blue spines that made his hair, "We're fighting?"

"At least I am, we don't know yet if the weyr will have to or not." Kim answered, "I lead a small party to meet them, as champion of the Brightscale Drackoni."

He nodded, then turned his head and whistled sharply. A blur of pale flesh darted out of the cracks in the weyr wall and perched itself on his shoulder. The large weyr rat was hairless with eyes like a gold-scale, and sharp fangs.

"Ron, you have the strangest taste in friends." Kim said.

"Hey, don't insult Rufus, and I'm friends with you aren't I?" The blue-scale grinned.

"I rest my case," Kim smirked, "Get your gear together, meet me at the Weyr entrance when you're ready to go. We leave immediately."

"I'll be there." Ron said.

"Yeah!" Rufus chirped from his shoulder.

Kim turned making her way toward the darker portions of the weyr next, her sense of smell leading her toward the halls of her second oldest friend. The young silver-scale, like Ron, was pouring over a fire. On his however was a cauldron and Kim was almost certain that the pale green liquid within was not edible. His silver hair was swept back along his head, flowing along two silver horns. Unlike most he had no scale ridges on his eyes, his face unmarked by scales at all. However, his neck, arms, chest, and back were all scaled and his wings draped around him like a cloak as he worked at the cauldron.

"What can I do for you Kim?" Wade asked as he added a bottle of some powder to the concoction on the cauldron.

"The council has named me as a Champion of the Weyr, I'm to lead a small group out to meet the oncoming force. If all goes well, single combat may save us from an all out war. If not, I need a group to watch my back as we thin their numbers a touch and retreat back to the weyr." She smiled as the young wyrm moved the cauldron from the fire and began to siphon off portions of the contents into small clay spheres.

"You think you'll need some surprises then. I'll pack for a little fun." The silver chuckled as he started to fit the spheres into holders on a bandolier.

"Meet the rest of us at the weyr entrance as soon as you're ready. We leave once we're all there." Kim turned, "And Wade, bring something really special. I have a feeling we'll need it."

"Hmm… I think I have just the thing." He picked up what looked like a glass sphere, filled with silver light.

Kim grinned as she walked away from the young inventors chamber and towards the temple. The next member of her group would be at the same time, a little harder, and much more intriguing to acquire. The temple weyr held shrines to many of the deities of their ancestral race, and the Drackoni worshipped faithfully. Only the evil goddess, Tiamat, and the undead god Faluzure, were denied worship in the temple halls of the Brightscale Drackoni.

As she entered the halls of the Temple Weyr, she knelt first at the shrine of Io, paying her respects to the leader of their pantheon, then at the shrine of Bahamut, asking for wisdom in what was to come. Next she stopped at the shrine of Garyx, asking for a strong flame, and sharp claws in battle. Then she turned and headed for the deeper temple, were each of the deities had worship halls instead of the small shrines. As she came to the hall she wished to enter, she knelt again, and asked the patron for her blessing and acceptance within her halls.

"Tamara's welcome to The Red Daughter, and mine to you Kim. How may the humble servant of Our Goddess aid the Champion of The Brightscale Drackoni?" The copper-scaled priestess turned to Kim, her eyes flashing a bit, but a smile on her face.

Her features were the most draconic of any Kim knew among the Drackoni. Were most had only a ridge of scales over their eyes, and the occasional horns along side the spines that made up a Drackoni's hair, Monique was special. Her nose was scaled, and when it met her eye ridges, they swept back into two Copper-plated horns like a helm, and harder than steel. Her cheekbones were connected to the scaled nose as well and swept back like two thin scaled blades, a single black spine at the end of each. The copper-scales wings were under her arms, like the Greatwyrm's, but unlike the Greatwyrm, hers did not stop at her waist, they traveled from the length of her fingers, down to her feet, and wrapped around her arms and legs when not in use, the many joints of the wings allowing them to fold carefully, and encase her arms and legs in a thin layer of hardened scales.

"I take it most of the Weyr has heard the plan by now then Monique?" Kim asked.

"Word travels fast, especially if one listens to the prayers within the temples. What do you need girl?" Monique dropped a little of the temple formality with her friend.

"Ron, Wade, and I are heading out soon. I'd like a well trained healer, and cleric to aid us. You're the only one I trust." Kim was blatantly honest with her.

"You know how I feel about battle Kim," Monique turned to the temple proper, a hard look in her eyes, "But I can also feel the force coming to attack us. There are undead among them, and Tamara can not allow that to stand." Monique clutched her clawed hand in front of her chest, a soft prayer leaving her lips.

"I need people I can trust on my back Mo, I'll not make you come, but I hope you will." Kim said.

"A price, Red Daughter." Monique's voice echoed with an unearthly quality, and Kim looked around, noticing that the temple hall seemed suddenly devoid of sound, except for the two of them.

"A… price…" Kim said, not sure if she was still speaking with Monique, or something else.

"A price, for the anguish my priestess will face in what is to come. Like all of my followers, she is a strong warrior, but she is a priestess of mercy, life, light, and love." Monique turned back to Kim, and her copper eyes were now shining with a blinding silver light.

"Monique may ask anything of me…" Kim said, meeting the eyes as they seemed to pier into her soul.

"A kiss then, and my priestess will be with you…" Monique's hand came up, caressing Kim's scaled cheekbone, and sending a thrill through her.

Kim nodded, her throat suddenly tight as she felt the touch of the being inhabiting Monique, her scales tingling. Kim's eyes widened as her friend moved forward, the Copper-Scales eyes still glowing with that divine silver light and locked on her own. As she felt Monique's breath touch her lips, Kim finally closed her eyes as her heart thudded in her chest until she was sure that the entire temple heard it. Suddenly she felt the caress of the other Drackoni's lips on her own and her mind exploded with images.

A green skinned elven women in black and green armor with a pair of flaming green swords. A blue skinned human in black pale blue robes. A human queen sitting on a throne, surrounded by ladies in waiting. Two armies on either side of a field. A tower that reaches into the sky. And finally, a magnificent dragon with scales in all the colors known to dragonkind.

When Kim opened her eyes again, Monique was standing a foot away, and the world had resumed it's normal pace. She looked around a bit more, gaining her bearings.

"Did you see what I saw Monique?" Kim asked, her eyes falling onto the copper-scale.

"Tamara's gift to you Kim, I saw nothing…" Monique shivered, "Though I did feel the kiss."

Kim blushed, "Will you fly with us?"

"My goddess has spoken, my sword and my breath are yours." Monique smiled, "I shall meet you at the entrance of the Weyr.

Kim smiled, "I look forward to it." Then she turned, carefully leaving the temple halls and heading to her own weyr.

As she entered her dwelling, she shed the light armor that she wore around the weyr, and in her duties as her father's protector, and began to pull on her battle-armor. Her red eyes flashed as she pulled the white and red plate on. She kept seeing the green skinned woman she knew she'd be fighting, and could only wonder what the rest of the vision had meant.

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Shego's eyes raked over the path ahead of them. It was narrow, with two huge cliffs making up the walls on either side. Perfect for an ambush if the monsters had spotted them. She looked back over her men, eyes raking along the archers, cavalry, and the legion of undead under the control of one of the necromancers. It seemed like a formidable force for a horde of beasts, but then again, these were the last descendants of dragon kind, so maybe it wasn't such a mistake after all.

This was a force prepared for a small siege though. That seemed to imply that the beasts they were fighting were intelligent and capable of planning, or at least much stronger and more powerful than an average human. She'd heard the tales of Dragonmen swooping from the air and carrying away women, livestock, and even razing fields and burning villages.

Not that she had a problem with those things herself, but the people who were paying her wanted the dragon men dead. That meant that she was out here, leading a force of soldiers, mages, undead, and mercenaries, against a force she'd never encountered before. Not an ideal situation, but at least she was free of her thrice damned brothers.

Shego looked back to the troops once again and her eyes fell on the captain sent to act as intermediary between herself and the kingdom soldiers, "Lord Fiske!"

"What do you want, Elven?" The dark haired man road up, his face a barely concealing his disgust at dealing with her.

"What do you know of the monsters we're facing?" Shego asked, ignoring the man's obvious distaste.

"Like their draconic heritage, they are monsters of the most vile caliber. They kidnap young women, pillage our fields…" He paused as she interrupted him.

"I've heard the tales. I wanted to know of their intelligence, their skill in battle, their motivations, their culture…" She looked at the man.

"They're beasts, and deserve no consideration other than that necessary to see to their destruction." His sneer as he eyed her told her he had similar considerations for elves.

"You're a fool Fiske, you need to know an enemy if you wish to defeat them. If they're nothing but brutish louts, then we're in no danger. If, like the tales of dragons before the fall, they are intelligent, capable planners, then we're in position for an ambush. " Shego pointed out.

"They're beasts." He said again.

That's when they crested the hill, and saw the white flag flying over a small group of Dragonmen, "Well it looks like your 'beasts' have prepared a welcoming party for us."

"ARCHERS!" Fiske called.

In answer to his command a score of archers surged forward, nocking arrows as they moved into position. They drew back and fired before Shego could even call for a hold. Shego watched impotently as the arrow flew in a graceful arch toward their targets. Her eyes widened though as the group moved closer together and the leader spit fore a huge cone of flame, the searing heat disintegrating the arrows in mid flight before they ever reached the group. The dancing red and yellow climbed to an amazing fifty foot height before the dragon's breath was halted.

"FISKE! YOU IDIOT!" The green skinned elf backhanded the man off of his mount, "I am in charge of this mission! You are to follow MY orders, not give orders of your own! You could have just killed the only chance we have of gaining ANY intelligence on this mission. If you step out of line again, I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

She turned to the soldiers, "ARCHERS! STAND DOWN NOW! DO NOT ATTEMPT THAT AGAIN OR I'LL SEE TO IT THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT DRAGON ROARS IT WILL BE AT YOU INSTEAD OF YOUR ARROWS! THEY ARE UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE. SOLDIERS UNDER MY COMMAND WILL ABIDE BY THAT FLAG!"

She looked out over her men, seeing them cowed before her rage and the impressive display of the dragon before them, then she turned back to Fiske, "Mount up, we ride to meet them!"

She watched as the disgruntled captain mounted his horse, then turned her own steed to the Dragons and rode toward them with him close at her side. As they neared she got her first good look at the group. The leader wore shining white armor with a red dragon design on the breast plate. The plate armor was sculpted perfectly to the girl's body, and somehow accented all of her curves while still providing protection and flexibility. The armor halted at her neck, revealing two lines of scales that ran up either side of her neck and all the way up, her ears pointed and scaled. The scales continued up to surround her face like an exotic design, creating a brow ridge with two small black horns on either side of her head just over her eyes. It wasn't a coincidence that Shego noticed the color of the scales matched her hair exactly. She had red eyes with slit pupils and they bore directly into the green skinned elf. Two glorious red wings spread out behind her and fluttered a bit as she decided to fight or fly. In her hand she held a black wood staff, runes running its length in blood colored carvings.

To the leader's right was a male about the same age in simple brown leather armor. His scales weren't as elegant as the leaders, but unlike her, he had a long tail that ended in a lethal looking spike, and his wings were folded around him like a cloak, his blue hair short and in a messy style. He wore a katana at his side, his hand resting on the hilt.

On the leader's other side was a short male with silver hair and horns, but a surprisingly human, if dark skinned face. Only his silver eyes, and fanged teeth killing the illusion, as he eyed Lord Fiske. While his face seemed human, his arms were covered in silver scales, and his silver wings draped over him in a flowing cloak. He carried no obvious weapons or armor, wearing only a silver robe with black accents, and a belt of pouches around his waist.

The last member was a dark skinned female with copper colored scales, but where the silver's face could seem human, the copper could not. She had no hair at all, merely two helm-like horns and scaled cheek ridges that gave her a purely draconic appearance. She wore a breastplate in deep black with a seven pointed star over her heart, and Shego could not tell if her arms and legs were covered in copper colored armor, or merely their own scales. She wore a huge scimitar naked on her back.

Shego's eyes took in the leader again after making the circuit of draconic beings, then nodded to her, "My apologies for my captain's foolishness, I am glad that you were not harmed by his… over zealous actions. Is this…" She gestured, "An attempt to negotiate, or do you seek to surrender?"

Shego knew this was no such thing, but she'd play the part till she discovered what was truly at hand, then Fiske decided to speak again, "This is ridiculous! They're beasts, and they send CHILDREN to represent themselves so they must be cowardly beasts as well!"

The red's eyes flashed as she turned to eye Fiske, "Wade," she gestured to the silver, "Is the youngest of us, and he is in his forty third cycle," she turned to Shego next, "You ride with an elf, so you should know that very few beings are as short lived as you humans. How old are you elf?"

"One hundred and ten, and yourself, Red Wyrm?" Shego asked.

"You have me bested by twenty five years. I heard your words to this fool earlier, as well as those to your archers, "She smirked at the look on Fiske's face, "Dragon's have very sharp ears, and eyes." She turned back to Fiske, "Since you are not the leader, I'll thank you to keep your peace."

Shego smirked as Fiske silently fumed at that statement, then turned her attention back to the leader, "You called for this meeting, do you wish to discuss terms?"

"We can tell from your direction, and your numbers, that you ride for war with our clan, we don't know why, but that can be seen too in time. What we do know, is that we do not wish a slaughter on either side. We propose to settle this honorably, a battle of champions. I, as the champion of The Brightscale Drackoni, against a champion for your forces." The red scale stepped forward, away from her party.

"You expect to try and answer for your crimes against us with an honorable challenge when you're nothing but a beast in the guise of civilized creatures? HOW DARE YOU!" A swift backhand from Shego silenced Fiske before he could say anything else.

"My compatriot is a bit, excitable, but he raises a good point… you truly expect to end this by a mere test of champions?" Shego eyed the dragon girl carefully.

"If you win, the Drackoni will surrender, and you may escort us all to your kingdom as prisoners. If I win, you take you take your soldiers, and leave." She looked back at a subtle cough from the Copper-Scale, "And you allow me to incinerate your undead horde. The Goddess Tamara despises such creatures, and since her cleric is among our group, she can not in good faith to her goddess allow them to remain in existence."

" You make a mockery of religio…" Another hard backhand unhorsed Fiske before he could finish his statement.

"FOOL!" Shego said, "They could wipe us out in this path easily with a few breaths, and on top of that, they're giving us the chance to capture an entire hoard of them alive, without risking a single man!"

"Then you accept my challenge Elven?" the red smiled as she signaled for her followers to step a little farther back.

"I accept, and I'll be your opponent." She turned to Fiske, "By the end of this battle, I'll have earned my pay and then some, by capturing an entire village single handed." Shego smiled as she dismounted, "Back to the men, and see to it they do not interfere."

Fiske mounted his horse and turned it back to the men, "AND FISKE! IF YOU EVEN THINK OF BETRAYAL, I'LL BURN YOU TO ASH MYSELF!" Shego yelled out.

The disgruntled lord snarled as he spurred his horse back toward the men. The five warriors watching him all wore their thoughts on their sleeve as they considered the dark hearted martial artist, before Shego turned back to the red.

"I am Shego, First Daughter of the house of Go, Elven Blade Mistress and Soul Knife of the Green Flame." Saying that she held out each of her hands and two flaming green long swords flared into existence in her hands.

"An impressive display, Shego," The red spun her staff as she walked toward the elf, "My name is Kim, The Red Daughter of Greatwyrm Goldenscale, Champion of the Brightscale Drackoni, master of the staff, and practitioner of the arcane arts."

"Rules of battle?" Shego started to circle the red-scale.

"As the challenged, it is your right to choose the rules." Kim offered.

"No flame breath, and no high flying, I'll not ground you, when that is obviously your way in battle, but I'll not have you dive bombing me from the cliffs either. Other than that, I believe we're evenly matched." Shego spun her blades in a flourish as she locked eyes with the red scaled warrior.

"Very well, then shall we begin?"

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Lord Montgomery Fiske had spent years perfecting his martial skills. He'd spent more rising in the ranks of the Queen's armies to become captain, and three times that mercenary scum had raised her inhuman hand to him. She'd also belittled and insulted him. He could not let that go unpunished, not to someone so far beneath him. He rode back to the men alright, because every last one of them was loyal to him.

He smirked as he stopped his horse next to them, and turned to his archers, "Prepare a volley of steel arrows, and ready one of the catapults, they're preparing to battle a challenge, but we'll slaughter every last inhuman thing in these mountains." he smirked as they quickly went to obey his orders, "And send me the best marksman you have, I want to be sure an arrow claims the life of that worthless elven slut!"


	2. Chapter 2

Kim laughed as she used one end of her staff to block the attack Shego had aimed at her right side. She quickly rotated her staff, using the deflection of the blow to bring the other end up and directly toward her opponent's head. Her smile only grew as the green skinned elf blocked with her second blade. Without warning Kim's wings snapped open and she used them to propel herself straight backwards and away from the blade mistress. She quickly channeled as much of the arcane energies as she could into enchanted wood, then unleashed them.

A bolt of white lightning erupted from the end of the staff and streaked towards the green and black clad warrior. Instead of dodging, as Kim thought she would, the elf threw one of her blades at the energy, causing an explosion of magic as eldritch lightning struck soul forged psychic energy. Before Kim could recover to launch another spell, the elf was charging toward her, having replaced her destroyed weapon with an identical version as easily as blinking. Kim only laughed as the battle thrilled through her draconic blood.

"Oh Shego! I've not fought like this in decades!" Kim exulted as she batted away another of the elven woman's strikes.

"You're not half bad yourself, Princess!" Shego leapt to the side as one of Kim's knees came up in an attempt to strike her in the gut.

The smirk on Kim's face at the move let Shego know she'd made a mistake a split second before the red-scale's staff lanced under her guard and struck her in the ribs. The hard blow echoed through Shego's body, her leather and chain-mail armor barely absorbing the brunt of the strike. The follow up strike to her legs sent the Soul Knife falling to the ground but she quickly turned the fall into a roll and used it to escape the range of the draconic battle-mage. That was useless though as a stream of pure eldritch energy erupted from Kim's staff, the sorcerer not bothering to imbue the energy with form.

Shego used her blades, crossing the flaming green weapons before her to block the onslaught of magical force, then charged forward. The barbarian like yell she let loose more than demonstrating the amount of effort the move was causing her. Once she'd closed in she batted Kim's staff aside, attempting to stab the Drackoni with her free blade before her opponent's staff could complete its movement and allow Kim to block.

The thud of steel on enchanted wood echoed in the canyon as the red-scale managed the block and answered with a battering of her wings to throw the elven warrior off balance, then she began to jab the staff forward like a spear head, attempting to pierce through Shego's guard. While only a few blows reached the elven warrior, they were enough to stagger her. The smirk on Kim's face grew.

"You're the best warrior I've fought not of the Drackoni, Shego!" Kim exalted as she studied the elf's stance.

"You've seen nothing yet Princess." Shego smirked as she swept both her blades through the air, sending green flames sweeping toward the red-scale.

Kim smiled as she started spinning her staff in a furious circle, channeling all the magic she could through the wood and runes to form a shield. She grinned as her shield stood up easily to the elemental onslaught. The immediate threat stopped; she slammed her staff into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and debris as a cover before she leapt to the rock wall, hanging there. She smirked as she saw Shego about to repeat her flame attack, but the smirk turned to surprise as the elf turned and aimed straight at her.

"Nice try Princess, but Elven eyes are better than humans'." Shego called as she watched Kim dodge the flame easily.

Kim flared her wings gliding to the ground as she spun her staff again, smiling at the warrior she faced, "We're evenly matched it seems, for while I can get through, barely, my blows aren't very effective."

"And while my swords may be a match for your dragon hide and armor, I can't surpass your staff's defense, and my ranged attacks are too slow to hit you at a distance." Shego grinned as she flourished her blades.

"ARCHERS!" Both combatants turned at the sound of a command from the human troops as another rain of arrows where loosed.

"Behind me, Shego!" Kim called as she flared her wings and loosed another cone of searing hot flame, attempting to shield them from the attack.

Kim cursed as she noticed a few of the arrows weren't disintegrated by her flame and were continuing on the path toward them. She brought her staff up starting it spinning again as she forced more of her arcane power through the runes to create another shield. She noticed Shego out of the corner of her eye darting toward her, and cursed as she watched the green warrior fall as a black arrow pierced her side. Her relief, as her shield held and batted away what arrows her flame could not destroy, was palpable.

"Monique! Wade! To me! Ron! Cover us with your lightning!" Kim ordered as she darted toward the fallen elf.

She smirked as she heard lightning striking the sides of the cliffs ahead of them, sending rocks tumbling into the path of anymore attacks. She quickly reached Shego and lifted the elf into her arms before running back toward her comrades, her staff shoved into a sheath along her spine. She smiled as she saw the silver and bronze Drackoni headed toward her.

"Slow their pursuit!" She ordered as she watched two ethereal clouds spout from the mouths of her friends just as she passed them.

She stopped as she reached Ron, looking back over her shoulder at her other teammates, still breathing out that ethereal gas, then her eyes cut to the air and she saw the first boulder arcing up into the air.

"Ron the boulder!" She pointed at it, "Monique, Wade! Retreat!"

Kim watched as Wade turned, kicking off with his legs as he beat his wings to add speed, throwing a small globe over his shoulder as he did. Monique merely leapt to a wall and spread her wings, the jet draft from opening them propelling her forward just as the boulder reached the top of its arch. Ron loosed another bolt of lightning, this one shattering the boulder in the air causing a rain of rocks to come down along the walls of the canyon, creating an avalanche where Ron had already weakened the walls.

The four converged as the walls started to crumble between them and the army and Kim looked at it in thought, "Bring it all down, block it off from anything that can't fly!" She ordered as she loosed a ball of flame at the rock walls.

The others followed suit, cutting loose with acid, ice, and lightning at the walls, creating a wall as high as the canyon itself before they stopped.

"Monique, see to her." Kim laid the elf down carefully as the cleric moved into place over her.

"Poison, and something strong, meant to kill slowly and painfully… don't touch the arrow." The cleric closed her eyes as she laid her hands beside the wound that was already starting to look as black as the arrow, a soft white glow spreading from her touch. "I just eased the pain and slowed its progress. That's all I can do here, she needs proper treatment and anti-venoms. We'll have to bring her to the Healers."

Kim nodded as she spread her wings wide, tightening her hold on the unconscious elf, "Then we fly fast!"  
**000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000 … 000  
**

Shego groaned as her senses slowly started returning to her. Surprisingly, the first thing she registered was not pain. It was the feel of soft bedding and a heavy fur covering her. She flexed her muscles, discreetly. Testing for restraints and to be sure everything was in working order. It also told her she was naked beneath the furs. The whole time keeping her breathing even and eyes closed, not giving away her now awakened state. Her hearing told her that there was another person in the room.

Slowly she rolled over to look at who was in the room, deciding she wasn't in immediate danger. Her eyes widened at the sight of the red scaled warrior she'd faced. The red scale's head was tilted slightly to the side, her eyes smiling as she watched Shego come to. Shego's eyes ran down the red's body in her seat.

She wore a black hide top, tied around her neck and her waist, but Shego could tell it was backless for her wings. Shego also saw that the scales from her face ran down her neck and along her sides, curving at her bust line under the shirt. Her legs were incased in black hide as well, but her feet were bare and Shego could see for the first time that like her human hands, they ended in talons. She also saw the ending trail of scales at the cuffs of the pants.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Shego of The Green Flame." Kim smiled.

"What happened?" Shego's eyes were wary, as she also noticed the warrior's staff resting next to the wall behind her.

"Do you remember your soldiers' betrayal?" Kim asked.

"Fiske" Shego's eyes hardened as the sensation of the arrow piercing her side returned, its vivid memory sending a series of shooting pains through her body before she calmed down.

"You were struck with a black arrow, coated in a poison meant to cause a slow and painful death. Monique was able to slow the spread of the poison, but it had still traveled deep into your system before we had time to get you back to our Weyr." Kim looked at her carefully.

"How did you escape?" Shego looked at her.

"A combination of factors. We caused an avalanche, Wade and Monique both have magical breath techniques that allow them to slow or paralyze an opponent, and Wade is an... inventor as well as a mage. He created a sphere that allowed the fog to remain as long as the sphere is within range of it. Since the sphere is probably within the rubble behind the fog that should keep it there a while. No one is coming over that wall, unless it's on wings. At least not for a while." Kim said.

"Fiske was an idiot. You're as smart, or smarter than the humans can even conceive. We'd have been slaughtered." Shego sighed.

"Not if we could help it. It was never a question of winning or losing for us. It was a question of, were we willing to pay the price for victory. We are warriors, yes, but the cataclysm that destroyed the last of the true dragons, was caused by a war. We are the last true vestige of the dragon race. There are other draconic beings... true, but the Wyrms of old no longer rule the skies, the closest you'll find are us, and the psuedodragons and fairy-dragons that some wizards call as familiars. No other of the dragonkin has our intelligence." Kim smiled.

"Why did you save me?" Shego eyed her.

"We'll get to why later. For now, we need to concentrate on how." Kim said, looking at her again.

"How?" Shego asked.

"You were poisoned by a magical poison. Once it had entered your system, there was nothing we could do to stop it completely. We could only slow it down, and that would have only made an already slow and painful death take even longer. We had no antidote to it either. So the only option was to make you less susceptible to poison, we had only one way to do that." Kim said solemnly.

"Which was?" Shego asked wearily.

"There's a breed of dragon that is immune to most venoms and poisons. Their blood is acclimated to venoms because they spit toxic fumes already. We have a few here, living among us, though they are transients and not borne of our clan. Our greatest healer has devised a way to imbue the powers of the draconic blood from one of us to another, for certain things; toxic immunities, resistance to cold or heat, immunity to paralysis, that sort of thing. Since we're already Drackoni though, our bodies are meant to handle dragon's blood. On top of that, we didn't know if they'd be immune to the poison at all, or if we could even perform the same spell rites and rituals to add dragon's blood to your veins." Kim's eyes never left Shego's.

"I'm alive, so I'm guessing it worked." Shego's voice was cautious.

"Yes, it saved your life. However, you were not Drackoni, so your body wasn't prepared for dragon's blood. The magic has taken on a life of its own, your body is changing, slowly. You're not Drackoni, not yet at least, but you're not an elf anymore either." Kim shifted a bit.

"What changes?" Shego asked.

"So far, clawed fingers, black scale eyes, and fangs. You haven't grown scales, or wings, or anything else... yet. But there's no guarantee you won't, or any that you will. The first change happened right after the infusion, your body went into seizure, and your eyes opened and became transformed right before us. Your fangs and claws came next, two hours later. I came to check on you and noticed them. That was an hour and..." Kim looked over at a machine on the wall, "forty five minutes ago."

"So in fifteen minutes, nothing could happen, or I could take on more draconic features." Shego sighed and closed her eyes, "What made you decide to try it?"

"One of the black scales stabbed himself with the arrow, and wasn't affected." Kim said.

Shego's eyes snapped open, "WHAT!?"

"That was my mother's reaction. She explained the poison to him, and wanted to know if he was immune to it or not. He said he didn't know, then picked the arrow up and thrust it through his arm." Kim smiled, "He said, 'There is enough elven blood on the hands of dragons and man.' That was more than enough reason for him to shed some of his own." Kim smiled at her, showing gleaming white fangs.

"Wow," Shego shook her head, "He was an idiot."

"That was my mother's opinion as well, though I'm sure for different reasons. Still, his motives were pure, even if his methods were a bit... extreme." Kim smiled.

"I owe him for that, I guess." Shego sighed.

"No you don't, but we'll get to that later..." Kim said, looking at the time piece again.

"What is that?" Shego asked.

"It's a time-keeper. Wade makes them, they're precision devices that allow us to keep track of hours, and are more accurate than sand-glasses." Her eyes turned back to Shego, "And if you're going to change again, it should happen now."

Shego waited a moment, then her body tensed as she felt a surge of magic run through her. Her skin was itching in spots and her muscles tightening. She'd never felt anything like this before. It was as if her body was trying to rip itself apart in places. Then came the sudden realization that a change was taking place within her. Finally the magic faded and she opened her eyes. She hadn't even realized they were closed.

"What happened?" Shego asked.

"Nothing... at least, nothing visible. No wings, no scales, it could have been and internal change..." Kim shrugged. "But this does answer a question... the changes will continue until they reach their end. What that result is... I don't know."

"Where am I?" Shego said, "I'll worry about the rest later."

"You're in the Weyr of my clan. More specifically, you're in my weyr, within the clan weyr." Kim said.

"Weyr, that's your word for home?" Shego asked.

"Yes, essentially. A weyr is anyplace a dragon lives. Within a clan weyr, there are several individual family, and personal weyrs. There is also the meeting caves, the temple-weyr, the training weyr, the spell caster's cavern, and of course the stables." Kim smiled.

"Stables? You can fly, why would you need horses?" Shego looked at her.

"I said there were stables, not that they kept horses. As for flight, not all of us can. Not all Drackoni have wings, and not all winged Drackoni can fly. Ron, the blue scale who was with us could merely glide from high cliffs, and on air currents. My father is the same. It depends on their wings." Kim said.

"His were different than yours, I remember that..." Shego said. "So? What do you keep in the stable?"

"I'll show you later, you asked a question though. And now that we've answered how, do you want to know why?" Kim looked at her.

"I think I'm beginning to believe you're not the monsters that had been described to me." Shego sighed.

"That's probably true," Kim said, "We did it because they turned on you for the same reason they sought to destroy us. Because you're not human. You on the other hand, showed honor, and treated us as equals. That's not something many non-monstrous races have done before. The monstrous races on the other hand, fear us, because of our ancestry. You showed us courtesy, and your men turned on you for it. Besides, I couldn't let you die till we knew who would really win." Kim smiled.

"What about the claims of your kind pillaging the outlying farms and carrying off women?" Shego asked, looking at Kim.

"I can't say that Drackoni are not capable of that, but I can assure you that none from the Brightscale clan have done so. We hunt only in the forest, and in the deeper ranges of the mountains. Usually for large predators, the meat is tastier, though we will eat the occasional wild deer, or game bird. Ron's actually a fine cook." Kim chuckled, "He'll be bringing us dinner later."

"You brought a cook to battle with you?" Shego looked at her, bemused.

"He's also a druid capable of controlling the animals and plants of an area, and his lightning breath can shatter stone." Kim pointed out.

"A druid, a cleric, an inventor, and a battle mage." Shego shook her head, "If you could have flown high, or used your flame breath, you'd have beaten me easy."

"Ah, but that was against the rules." Kim pointed out.

"Why am I naked beneath this fur?" Shego asked.

"Two reasons. One, we had to remove your armor to treat your wounds, and that's all you wore. And two, if you suddenly sprouted wings, or a tail..." Kim smiled.

"Tricky." Shego said.

"Don't worry; the healers and I are the only ones who were present." Kim winked at her.

"Am I to be a prisoner here then?" Shego asked.

"Not at all. You're free to wander the Weyr, however, with the canyon collapsed..." Kim trailed off.

"I'm trapped, unless I grow wings. Not that I'd want to return, with your saving me... Fiske will probably report that I turned on the soldiers and aided you." Shego cursed, "That bigoted fool."

"Why are they so determined to face us?" Kim asked.

"I don't know, but I can tell you the line they fed me." Shego said, "They wanted to stop the raids on their farms and the disappearances of young women. They blamed dragon men."

"Drackoni. It's what we prefer, as I'm sure you prefer Teu-Til'Quessir to being called Elven. Both are correct, but one is proper, the other something that other races use because they don't know better." Kim pointed out.

"How did you know I was a Moon Elf? My skin tone..." Shego said.

"Is green, but still the pale shade of the moon, and your hair is ebony black. Besides, your facial features and the shape of your eyes give you away."

"This is what I was trying to tell Fiske. Knowing the opponent is something important. You don't underestimate them that way." Shego said. "They'll try again."

"We know. My father is already in council. They're deciding what must be done." Kim said.

"Can I borrow some clothes; I'd like to speak to your council." Shego looked at the Drackoni, "I'm assuming it'll be backless, but at least you don't have a tail."  
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In all his years as Greatwyrm, James had seen a great many things. He had seen Drackoni that were part of the shadows themselves, capable of vanishing into invisibility. He had seen Drackoni whose scales were as beautiful and faceted as gemstones. He had seen orcs who were brilliant wizards. In his youth, he'd braved the terrors of the Underdark in search of adventure, and there faced Illythiri, Illithid, and all the other creatures of the deep world. But to see his daughter walk into the council chambers with an elven woman with the eyes of a black dragon at her side was new to him.

His daughter was dressed in her comfortable clothes, a black top that left room for her wings, and black breeches as well. The elf wore the same black breeches, but her top was green. His eyes took in her stance and he could tell that of a hardened warrior. He understood now, why his daughter had spoken for her.

"Kim, I take it this is the woman I've heard so much about." The Greatwyrm was firmly in appearance here.

"Yes Sir. May I present Shego, First Daughter of the House of Go, and Soul Knife of the Green Flame. A formidable warrior and an honorable one. Shego, I present to you my Father, Greatwyrm James of the Golden-scale, master of the arcane, and the seventh leader of Clan Brightscale." Kim smiled at her father.

"Welcome, Shego, my daughter speaks highly of your skills." James said, eyeing the woman, "I present my Wife, our clan's greatest Healer, Anne; our Clan Elder, my mother; Our War Leader, Red Wyrm Director; and our youngest Member, Felix White-scale. May I ask why my daughter presents you to us?"

"I was betrayed by those who hired me, the humans whose army I was leading. I'll make no apologies for the attack, I'm a mercenary, and for me it was just business. However, the reasons for it, or at least the reason I was given, is that they believe you to be as monstrous as some of the legends of ancient dragons. They blame you for razed fields and kidnapping women. The leader of their army, Fiske, is a bigoted human who hates all non-humans. Elves included, which is why I believe I was betrayed. I can't tell you much, but I can tell you they will attack again, and in greater numbers. Next time, they'll not even pause to parley." Shego said.

"Where do they come from?" Director asked, her voice hard.

"They're ruler is Queen Rockwaller, of The Middle Kingdom. However, I believe that it is her advisor, Drakken, who blames the Drackoni for the things that have befallen them." Shego said.

"Well, we have time to prepare at least. My daughter saw too it that the path to us is blocked from any who can not fly, at least for a while. Even with magic, it will take them several months to clear the path. In the mean time, Shego, I'm led to believe that in saving your life, our healers may have changed you… by the look of your eyes, I see that is the case?" James again ran his eyes over her.

"Yes, though from what I've been told, we're not sure of the extent of those changes yet." Shego said.

"Was there another incident of change?" Kim's mother spoke.

"Yes, but we're not sure what changes occurred. None were visible." Kim said.

"Perhaps a breath ability? Or a change in musculature. Drackoni have a denser muscle structure than humans or elves." Anne said.

"What are the chances I'm becoming at least partially Drackoni then?" Shego asked.

"I really don't know, we'd never tried blood bonding with anyone not of the Drackoni before, and since we had never encountered that particular poison, we didn't have time to create an antidote. It truly was the only way to save you." Anne looked at her.

"For that you have my thanks, though I still believe you were fools for saving an enemy, I am grateful you did it." Shego flexed her muscles, attempting to see if what they said was true.

"Well, Shego, as it is, you hold the blood of the Dragon within you now. You're welcome to remain among us as long as you wish." James said.

"Is that wise, Greatwyrm?" Director said.

"She has proven honorable, at least to a point, and she admits that her attack was business. I sense no deceit from her, or any animosity to our kind. As long as she is a guest here, I do not believe she'll harm any of us." The Elder spoke.

"That is my feeling as well, and I'd like her to stay, at least until we can find out the full ramifications of our treatment upon her. It was not my intention to cause harm you Shego, merely to save your life." Anne said.

"Then it is decided, Shego, you are welcome among the Brightscale, however, we do ask that you remain with Kim while you are among us." James said.

"I'm still suffering from the arrow wound, if not the poison, so I thank you for your hospitality." She nodded to the Council, "With your leave."

"Kim," The elder spoke, "Come see me later, we must speak."

"Yes Nana," Kim smiled, then followed Shego from the room.

"Mother?" James said looking at his teacher.

"Your spells are greater than my own, son, but my senses are much sharper. I can see the threads you cannot. Those two, are tied together, not only in this world, but in all others. They were meant to find each other, for whatever reason…"  
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Fiske wasn't happy as he walked through the halls of the palace toward the queen's audience chamber. Not only did he have to report a total failure, but that he'd also lost the mercenary she'd hired. Not something the queen would enjoy, but at least she hadn't paid the damned elf yet. Still, he'd have to spin this properly. Luckily, the soldiers were loyal to him.

He entered the Throne Room with his head held high, his eyes upon the queen. She was young, but her gaze was that of a seasoned ruler. The queen's brown hair hung framed her face and she stared at Fiske with hard hazel eyes.

Her blue skinned advisor stood beside her. Fiske still believed the 'man' to be inhuman, but had not been able to prove that fact. Supposedly his skin tone was due to a spell that had gone wrong. Still, he didn't like the man. The wizard's eyes never left him as he neared the throne.

Falling to a single knee, Fiske spoke, "My lady, I apologize, but our forces failed. The Mercenary betrayed us, and left with the monsters during their retreat. They also blocked off the canyon path with an avalanche. I believe it was an attempt to wipe our forces out, but luckily we had not progressed that far into the canyon."

"This troubles me Lord Fiske," The queen spoke, her hazel eyes boring into the man, "I was assured, that your forces would be able to wipe out this threat to my people."

"It was not our military might that caused our failure, my queen, but the betrayal of that inhuman mercenary and the trap she aided the dragon-men in setting." Fiske said, "They met us under a flag of truce, then ambushed us with an avalanche."

"I see. How long till we can breech their new defense?" The queen spoke.

"It shall take months, at the least my lady. Delaying that is also a gaseous fog that slows, or paralyzes any who enter it." Fiske reported.

"Drakken?" The queen spoke.

"It sounds like dragon's breath, though that usually dissipates after a time. There must be something in the area keeping it there. A strong enough dispel should be able to dissipate it, however, you'd need a wizard of substantial power. And they'd have to get close to the item itself, which if I'm correct, would be within, the cloud." Drakken spoke.

"What of the Mercenary?" The queen spoke.

"We were able to wound her with an arrow M'lady, though we do not know her fate." Fiske said, "The chances of the beast having the medical skills necessary to save her however, are slim."

"You still consider them beast, Fiske," Drakken laughed, "Dragons were the most fearsome of the ancient monsters, before their fall. Adventurers considered them the greatest of challenges, and dragon slayers were the strongest among adventurers. Their intelligence was rumored to be such that they could naturally maintain magical spells and abilities, and held a racial memory that spanned millennia."

"Beast, are beast, Regent. No matter what form they take. Inhumans are not worthy of life." Fiske spat.

"Hmm…" Drakken considered the man.

"Lorde Fiske, prepare our forces. Next time, we wipe them out!" The queen said.

"As I said, my lady, it will take some months to clear the path…" Fiske repeated.

"I'm aware, I want you to build our army up. This is no longer a siege against a single nest of these monsters. We will wipe every dragon man from the face of the earth!" The queen's eyes were hard.

"Of course, my Queen." Fiske bowed and then strode from the room.

"A wise course my Queen." Drakken said, "I shall return to my experiments, should you need me." The blue wizard smirked as he left the room.

* * *

A/N:

I hope everyone is enjoying this, and sorry its so long between updates on some of my stories, but I have to write what comes to me. Unfortunately, my muse is scatterbrained and has a case of A.D.D., so what and when I work on things are up to its whims. I'm going to try to finish chapter two of my story Rebel's Dawn, or my KP: Ghost Rider story next, but we'll see how that turns out. Thanks for reading, and please review.


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